Life in the Synchro Dimension
by TranscodeNightCat
Summary: Technically 5D's for some of you, but I like the Synchro Dimension more. Set in an AU. Roget is head of Sector Security. Tops are happy. Commons are miserable. Everything is how it should be, and the results Roget has achieved have earned him more money and more power enforcing policies in New Domino City. NO pendulums.
1. Chapter 1

_Under the guidance of Jean-Michel Roget, Sector Security has managed to keep the Topsiders safe and the Commons under control with the use of ARC technology. New Domino City has never been safer. With his proven results, the high council has elected to grant him more power and a larger budget to enforce the policies of New Domino City._

 _Training our youths to be the very best, it can only be the Sector Security Junior Academy. We shape the future of safety. We turn boys and girls into strong, independent leaders. Enrolling in the academy, students can expect a top-notch education, the highest quality instructors, and the opportunity to succeed at every turn. Our rigorous program will prepare youths to be role models for future generations, master the art of dueling, and lead them to promising careers in Sector Security. Enroll today!_

 _…_

An alarm clock went off at 5 AM. Aaron hopped down from the top bunk and shut it off. "Zane, get up." The fourteen year old said hitting him with a pillow.

The black-haired boy rubbed his eyes rolling over. "Why are you so excited?"

"Duel Runners test today." Aaron grabbed a towel and walked down the hall to the bathroom. He stepped into one of the shower stalls and let the warm water wash over him. "I'm going to pass today. I've failed five times, but today will be different."

After his shower, Aaron returned to his room and got dressed. He finished buttoning up the short sleeved, navy-blue shirt that had two pockets on the chest. He tucked it into the black slacks before putting on his belt; to his side was a holster containing his deck. He tied his black work boots before strapping on his Sector Security issued duel disk; the navy-blue duel disk had a small insignia for Sector Security on it.

He returned to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He then ran a comb through the short brown hair on his head. "All set." He smiled at his reflection staring at the blue-eyes in the mirror.

Aaron walked back to his room to see Zane sitting on the bed studying his Sector Security codebook. "Ready for breakfast?" He asked putting the book in his bag.

"Let's go." Aaron said.

A girl named Sara was waiting for them in the hallway. Her purple eyes stared at the boys. Her shoulder length black hair was tied into a high ponytail. Instead of wearing the black slacks, she chose to wear black cargo shorts and black running shoes. "Notice anything new?" She pointed to her left sleeve.

"You earned a stripe. Nice." Zane smiled. "What'd you do?"

"Took down ten seniors in a row in duel class. The teacher thought I deserved it. I think they're cleaning bathrooms all week."

"Rough." Zane responded. "Let's go to breakfast." He pointed down the hall and started walking.

In the cafeteria, the group stood in line. Someone ladled scrambled eggs on to their trays, set two pieces of toast on it, and gave them a small carton of milk. The group of friends found their seats.

Aaron finished his breakfast before everyone else. "Where are you going?" Sara asked.

"Duel Runner course. I have a test today, and I plan on passing. I'll see you guys later." Aaron ran out of the cafeteria with a determined look on his face.

In the garage, Aaron walked over to one of the racks and grabbed a helmet. "Hey look, it's first turn fail." A boy shoved Aaron to the ground. His smile was visible while his eyes were behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. His friends looked the same all wearing the same sunglasses and uniform.

"Shouldn't you guys be in class?"

"No way. We don't want to miss you flying over the barrier, again."

"Shut up." Aaron pushed him aside putting on his helmet and a pair of sport sunglasses. He hopped on to the Duel Runner and put his duel disk in the slot. He grabbed the handles and revved the bike waiting for his instructor to give him the signal to go. He saw the hand wave and he was off. He kept accelerating along the straight path until he was at the optimal speed. The first turn was coming; Aaron maintained his speed. At the last second, he turned and swerved into the padded barrier. He flew off his Duel Runner and hit the wall.

Everyone who was watching laughed at him. Even the instructor was trying to hold back a laugh. Aaron walked over to the overturned bike and grabbed his duel disk. He tossed the helmet aside and put the sunglasses in his bag. "You didn't pass." The instructor said making a mark on his clipboard. Aaron sighed walking out of the room.

A security camera in the room had captured the incident. Students found the footage and watched it repeatedly laughing at Aaron as he passed them in the halls.

Lunchtime came. Aaron sat at his seat with a tray on the table. The sandwich had a few bites taken out of it. He put his head down.

"You okay?" Sara asked sitting across from him.

"Nope." Aaron responded quickly.

Zane sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder. "You could always be a stomp trooper."

"Not happening." Aaron mumbled.

He felt someone grab the back of his shirt; the boy had two stripes on his sleeve. "Nice failure." He threw Aaron to the floor. No one dared to interfere knowing that the boy had higher authority.

"Just leave me alone."

The boy stared at Aaron a little longer. "Aren't you the guy who uses those weak little monsters? This is too good."

"I bet those weak little monsters could take you." Aaron stood up and pulled his deck from his holster. He put it in his duel disk watching it power on with the green hologram for his cards.

"Bring it. I have a real Sector Security deck." He powered on his duel disk. The duel started with 4000 life points. "I'll take the first move since I'm a higher rank than you. First up, I summon the tuner, Vigilante Zeni from my hand. By reducing its attack to zero, I can summon Vigilante Gata from my hand. I tune Vigilante Gata with Vigilante Zeni and Synchro summon." The monsters' levels totaled to seven. "Come forth, Marksman Heiji Type 0!" The monster rose to the field with 2400 attack and 2000 defense. "Try to beat that."

Aaron drew his card. "One monster in facedown defense position. I end my turn."

The boy drew his card. "And I thought that you were pathetic on a Duel Runner."

"If you're so sure of yourself, attack it."

"First, I'll summon Comrade Swordsman of Landstar. All warrior monsters I control gain an extra 400 attack." His monsters all gained 400 attack. Comrade Swordsman of Landstar's attack grew to 900. His marksman's attack grew to 2800. "Marksman Heiji, destroy his facedown."

"My facedown was Key Mouse. I can add one level three or lower beast type from my deck to my hand. I select Sea Koala." Aaron showed the card before placing it in his hand."

"Comrade Swordsman of Landstar, show him some discipline!" Aaron winced watching his life points fall to 3100. "Your move, loser."

"I'm not going to lose." Aaron drew his card. "I have a special card in my hand. It's called Ayers Rock Sunrise." His expression remained calm activating it. "I can summon one beast type from my graveyard, but I won't be able to activate its other effect. I bring back Key Mouse." The small creature reappeared on the field in attack position. "I summon Sea Koala from my hand and activate its effect. I can reduce one of your monsters' attacks to zero. I select your marksman."

The boy clenched his fist watching his monster's attack fall to zero.

"Key Mouse, take him out." Aaron's monster tackled the marksman and reduced the boy's life points to 3900.

"That was pathetic, and I get to bring back the monsters I used for my Synchro summon."

"I tune level one Key Mouse with level two Sea Koala. I Synchro Summon Mist Bird Clausolas. One card facedown, and I'm done." The bird rose to the field with zero attack.

"No attack. Are you kidding me?" The boy drew his card. "I almost feel bad for you, but I don't. I tune level three Comrade Swordsman of Landstar with level three Vigilante Zeni to Synchro summon Goyo Guardian. I tribute Vigilante Gata to summon Freed the Matchless General. Goyo Guardian, let that pathetic monster have it!"

"Not so fast. I activate the trap, Threatening Roar. There is no battle phase this turn."

"You bought yourself some time. I end my turn."

Aaron drew his card. "I don't know if you're smart enough to remember this card, but I have another Ayers Rock Sunrise. I bring back Sea Koala. This time though, it's different because I can activate its other effect. For each beast in my graveyard, your monsters lose 200 attack. I have one." Aaron watched the monsters lose 200 attack.

"That's not enough to help you win."

"I summon Hyena from my hand. Mist Bird Clausolas can reduce your Goyo Guardian's attack to zero, and I'll have Sea koala do the same thing for Freed. Sea Koala, destroy Goyo Guardian." The boy's life points fell to 3800. "Hyena, Freed." The boy's life points fell to 2800. "Bring it." Aaron ended his turn.

"You asked for it." He drew his card. "I play Monster Reborn. Come back Goyo Guardian and wreck that annoying Mist Bird Clausolas!" Aaron's life points fell to 300. "Now Mist Bird Clausolas comes to my side of the field in defense mode. You're dead."

"I'm not out yet." Aaron drew his card. "I play Stop Defense and force Mist Bird Clausolas into attack position. Sea Koala will bring your Goyo Guardian's attack back down to zero. It's almost like you're wide open for an attack now. I summon another Hyena from my hand. To make sure this ends, I play Rush Recklessly and give Sea Koala an extra 700 attack. Sea Koala, destroy Mist Bird Clausolas." The boy winced watching his life points fall to 2000. Hyena, attack Goyo Guardian." The boy tensed up watching his life points fall to 1000. "Now, my other Hyena can finish this." Aaron watched the creature pounce on the boy and knock him to the floor and his life points to zero. "Call my monsters weak again." Aaron powered off his duel disk and put his deck in his holster. He turned around and walked out of the cafeteria.

A girl ran up to him with a red beret on her head and a cord over her shoulder signaling her high-ranking position. "Dean wants you in his office. Come with me."

Aaron nodded his head following her.

"Sir, I brought him." The girl said walking into the office.

"Thank you. You can go now." She nodded her head walking out of the room. Aaron took a seat in one of the chairs by his desk.

"Aaron, another failure on your Duel Runner test." He sighed looking over the folder in front of him. "It has become clear that you are not meant to be a Duel Chaser. You can go." Aaron sighed standing up and walking away; a notebook fell from his bag. The dean walked over and picked it up. "What's this? This is not a regulation notebook."

"It's nothing, give it back." Aaron tried to take it.

"Stand down." He ordered opening it up. He examined it closely. "These are designs for a Duel Runner."

"Yeah." Aaron responded nervously.

"It's an unusual design, but it looks functional. If I run this design by Chief Roget and have it made, would you be able to ride it and pass your test?"

"Yeah, I would. These Duel Runners are too big."

"You can go, but I will be holding on to this." He put the notebook in his desk drawer dismissing Aaron. He stopped Aaron at the door. "Remember that we allow for opportunity here. You just need to look for it." Aaron nodded his head walking out of the office.

Aaron returned to his room and sat at his desk doing his homework. Zane walked in. "What happened?"

"Nothing. He just chewed me out for failing my test."

"It'll get better." Zane slapped him on the back.

"Yeah." Aaron responded smiling weakly.

 **I might include characters from other dimensions, but I will modify their decks to be Synchro-based. Let me know what you think or what I should work on in future chapters. PMs and reviews are welcome.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks had passed since the meeting with the dean. It was Saturday now. Aaron had on a pair of black cargo shorts and running shoes instead of his slacks and work boots; Zane wore the same thing. Sara sat with them outside a small coffee shop. They were talking and drinking coffee together.

A group of kids walked up to them. "You guys go to the academy, right?" A little girl asked.

"Mhm." Sara nodded smiling at her.

"That's so cool." Two of the boys said. "When I'm older, I'm going into the academy."

"It's a lot of fun." Zane told them. "I love getting to go out on raids."

"Did you catch any bad guys?"

"Tons." He responded.

Aaron's duel disk beeped. "What is it?" Sara asked. She looked at the kids. "Can you guys go, please?" They nodded their heads running off.

"Email." Aaron said opening it. "I have a Duel Runner test tonight."

"I thought you were off Duel Runners." Zane said.

"This time is different." Aaron said growing serious. "Are you guys coming to watch?"

Sara and Zane nodded their heads. "I'm going out on a raid at midnight, but it shouldn't interfere." Zane said looking at his duel disk. "If I do well on this one, I get a stripe." He pointed to his empty sleeve.

"We should probably head back." Sara said looking at the time on her duel disk.

"Someone stop that thief!" A shopkeeper shouted. A man ran by with a bag in his arms.

"Let's go." Sara started running after the thief with Zane and Aaron following behind her. Zane ran ahead and jumped tackling him to the ground.

"It was only a few loaves of bread." He growled.

"Crime is crime." Sara said pushing a button on her duel disk; handcuffs materialized on the thief's hands.

"We caught a thief robbing a bakery. Sending our location now." Aaron typed something on his duel disk. "Sector Security should be here in a few minutes to grab him."

"Look at that. He duels." Zane pulled a deck from the man's pocket. "I think he's heading for the Facility."

"Please, not the facility!" The man was on the brink of tears.

"It's out of our hands." Zane looked through the deck. "You'll be fine in the Facility, if you play your cards right."

The shopkeeper ran up to the group. "You junior security kids sure know what you're doing."

"Thank you, sir." Sara responded. "If you don't mind waiting, Sector Security would probably like to talk to you when they arrive."

"No problem at all. Thank you for your help."

Sector Security soon arrived with a car. The man was screaming while an officer shoved him inside. Zane handed over the deck to the other officer. "We'll give your instructors a good word for your efforts today. You kids will make fine additions to Sector Security."

"Thank you." Sara responded for the group. "If you'll excuse us, we need to get back to the academy." The officers got into their car and drove off while they started to walk back to the academy.

"Is the Facility that bad?" Zane asked.

"We won't have to find out." Sara said. "It's for Commons who break the law and anyone who fights the system."

…

It was early at night. Aaron stood in a closed garage. "This is the Duel Runner." One of the instructors said pulling the sheet off it. "We built it to your specifications, but we did put in a faster engine."

The Duel Runner was built on one wheel; the seat rested above it. The body of the Duel Runner was small and compact. There was a small compartment on the back meant to hold a helmet and a few other items. On top of it were lights. The Sector Security logo was on the front and on the side. Counterweights built into it kept it balanced.

"This works." Aaron said looking at it in awe.

"Good, because you have an audience tonight." The instructor said crossing their arms. "Get ready and get on it.

Aaron nodded his head grabbing a helmet off the rack. He put it on followed by his sport sunglasses. He got on the Duel Runner and put his duel disk in the slot. He grabbed the handles and revved the engine. "Open the garage." The instructor nodded their head.

Aaron arrived at the starting line and looked at the crowd before returning to the course.

"He's riding half a Duel Runner!" Someone in the stands shouted laughing at him.

"That's new." Zane said sitting next to Sara. He had on a long sleeve shirt and a military style vest. "You think he'll pass?"

"He might. That Duel Runner looks like something he would ask for."

Aaron watched the light turn green. He sped up and accelerated down the straight path. The first turn came up. Aaron took it sharply earning gasps from the crowd.

"He made it." Zane said shocked.

"I made it." Aaron smiled to himself continuing along the course increasing speed. He maneuvered through the obstacles on the course with ease. The bike took turns sharply and moved faster than standard Duel Runners. He parked at the finish line and removed his helmet.

The students who watched were cheering for him. His instructor gave him the thumbs up making marks on their clipboard.

Zane and Sara ran down from the stands to congratulate him. "Finally passed." Sara smiled crossing her arms.

"Nice Duel Runner." Zane said looking it over.

"It's custom." Aaron said grabbing his duel disk and putting it back on his arm.

One of the instructors ran over. "Aaron, there's a phone call waiting for you in the garage. Bring the Duel Runner with you."

"Guys, I have to get going."

"So do I." Zane said looking at the time on his duel disk.

"See you later." Sara said waving at Aaron.

He gave her a nod before wheeling his bike into the garage. It shut itself as he walked inside.

"That was money well spent." A voice said from a monitor.

Aaron turned to it. "Director Roget!" He immediately tightened up saluting.

"At ease." He said waving his hand. Aaron put his hand down. "You have done very well for yourself on that course. Based on your past record, I was expecting you to merely pass. Never would I have thought that you would excel."

"Thank you, sir."

"According to your file, your dueling is decent, grades as well. I'm not one to normally offer this, but how would you feel about going on a Duel Chase?"

"Are you sure?"

"No need to be doubting yourself just yet. The reason I'm asking you to do this is because of that news reporter, Melissa Trail. She says that her fans are craving some spice in their programming. Allowing junior chasers to participate has given her pleasing results. Will you do it?"

"Yes, sir." Aaron responded immediately.

"Excellent. I will make the arrangements." He ended the call. In his other hand was a chess piece, a pawn. "Another pawn moves into place." He smiled setting it on the board.

…

"You ready to go?" An officer put on a gas mask. He looked at Zane.

"All set." Zane put on a mask and grabbed a nightstick from a crate.

"Okay." The team leader stepped up in front of the group. "We are infiltrating a small shop that has been reported to be selling stolen cards. Our job is to arrest the criminals involved. I also have to announce that we have a junior officer with us tonight." He pointed to Zane. "Let's try to set a good example. Move out!" He pointed to a van. Zane got into the back with four other officers.

"You done this before, rookie?" One of them asked.

Zane nodded his head. "If I do this one right, I'm earning a stripe."

"Just listen to us and you'll get that stripe." Zane nodded his head as the van started to move.

…

People sorted cards into bins; their white gloves prevented marks on the cards. A canister rolled into the room and started emitting tear gas.

"Move in!" Someone shouted. Zane ran into the room with the other officers and started putting handcuffs on everyone in the room.

Someone ran at him from behind with a knife. He quickly turned around and tripped them with his nightstick. He hit them once before putting handcuffs on them. "Nice one, rookie." One of the officers commented.

"Something I learned in training." Zane said putting away the nightstick.

They took the people they arrested and put them in a prisoner transport van that had arrived soon after the arrests. They walked back into the building to collect the stolen cards.

"Here's your reward." A guard looked into one of the bins and tossed him a card.

He looked at the Raigeki in his hand. "This is evidence. We're not supposed to take it." Zane walked over and put the card in one of the bins. "Let's get these back to headquarters."

The other officers paused and looked at him. "Take the card. We all took one. No one's going to miss a few cards."

"No." Zane said putting the bin down.

One of the officers shoved him. "Don't be that guy. Just take the card."

Another walked over. "If you want a good report and that stripe, you'll take the card." He picked the card up from the bin and held it up to Zane.

"Fine." He took the card from him and put it in his pocket.

"Good job, kid." The other officers started to pick up bins of cards and carry them outside. Zane sighed carrying a crate outside.

 _Later that night…_

Zane walked into his dorm room and took off his vest. He flicked on the lights. "Aaron, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" He asked stretching out in his bed.

"The raid tonight, they made me take a card." Zane pulled it out of his pocket. Aaron jumped from the top bunk and landed next to Zane. He looked at the card briefly. "What do I do?"

"Just turn it in on Monday. Now, go get a shower. You smell like tear gas and it makes me want to cry." Aaron climbed back into the top bunk and closed his eyes.

 _Just turn it in._ Zane thought to himself. _Just turn it in._


	3. Chapter 3

Zane walked to the front of the classroom with a test in his hand and a stripe on his shoulder. He turned it in and whispered into the teacher's ear. They turned and looked at him concerned. He pulled a card from his pocket and showed it to him. They reached into their desk and wrote a pass. Zane thanked them before running out of the room. He jogged down the hall a bit nervous.

"Slow down." Someone called out.

Reluctantly, Zane did as he was told fearing a reprimand. He walked to the office and took a seat in the waiting area. He saw Aaron sitting there with a clipboard. "What did you do?"

"I have to fill out paperwork for going on a duel chase. I also got caught dueling in the hallway."

"What happened to the other guy?"

"He's in there now. I think he's getting it worse because I won. My dueling style isn't one that people respect."

"True." Zane crossed his arms.

"So, you going to give back the card?" Zane nodded his head

"Zane, the dean will see you now."

"See you later." He walked off leaving Aaron alone with his clipboard. Zane walked into the dean's office.

"Zane, what seems to be the problem?" The dean asked calm and relaxed.

"It's about the raid I went on." He pulled the card from his pocket and put it on the desk. "The team took cards from the raid. They made me take one threatening to give me a bad report."

The dean took the card from him. "I'll have to file a report about this. The whole team participated in this?" Zane nodded his head. "I'll be sure to call Director Roget about this."

"Actually, could you do it now?"

"Want your mind at ease?" The dean asked. Zane nodded his head. "Let's see if he's in." He typed something on his computer and adjusted the monitor so both of them could see it. "Director Roget!" The dean smiled.

"What is it, Reginald?" Roget clasped his hands.

"I have a student here with me. He says that there was some corruption on his team during the raid of the underground card shop." He held up the card. "They made him take this."

"Turn me to the student." The dean did as he was told.

"Hello, sir." Zane said a little nervous.

"What's your name?" Roget asked.

"Zane."

"Zane, I appreciate your honesty. It's something that can be hard to come by. I'll make sure to have those officers dealt with. Consider that card my way of thanking you."

"Thank you, sir." Zane smiled taking the card from the desk.

"Not a problem. Make sure to keep your studies up."

"Yes sir." Zane responded before the screen shut off.

"Now that that's all cleared up, why don't you go to class?" Zane nodded his head leaving the office.

 _At the same time…_

"What an interesting boy." Roget chuckled holding a pawn in his hand. "Make sure to have those officers from that mission searched and punished for their actions." He said into a microphone. He heard a "Yes sir" and smiled.

 _…_

Aaron sat in the dining hall with his friends. "So he let you keep the card?" Sara asked.

"Yep." Zane pulled it out of his pocket. "It's rare too." He pulled out his deck and shuffled the card into it.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked looking at Aaron; he was staring at his duel disk.

"I'm on standby for a chase. This thing could go off at any time."

"Until it does, you should eat." Sara told him. Zane nodded his head in agreement. Aaron sighed and started to eat. He was halfway through his cheeseburger when his duel disk started blinking red and beeping loudly.

"I need to go." He pressed a button on his duel disk and ran off. "I'm going to be on TV if you guys have time to watch!"

"Hope he doesn't wreck." Zane said dipping his fries in some ketchup.

"We'll have to watch to find out." Sara responded.

Aaron ran into the garage and slipped on his biker gloves. He fastened the leather strap and grabbed his helmet. He put on his sport sunglasses and placed his duel disk on the Duel Runner. He slid his deck into the cardholder and jumped on his Duel Runner. He revved the engine and sped off out of the garage and on to the streets. "Junior cadet reporting in. I am entering on to the highway."

"Proceed." He heard into the headset built into his helmet.

Aaron accelerated. He could make out the Duel Runner ahead. "This is Sector Security. Pull over." He saw the other driver extend his middle finger. Aaron sighed accelerating to catch up. "I activate the field spell, Speed World Neo!"

 _Non-dueling vehicles, please exit the duel lane. Non-dueling vehicles, please exit the duel lane._

The highway began to change opening alternate paths. "Director Roget, the junior chaser has initiated the duel."

"Put him on screen." One of the technicians nodded their head typing on their computer.

A media helicopter hovered over the two duelists. "It's Melissa Trail here bringing you another exciting turbo duel!" A blonde woman smiled into the camera before returning to the duel. "We're bringing you a live duel between a rogue runner and one of our fine academy's junior chasers, Aaron. He's new on the scene, and his Duel Runner is too. I've been told that it's a custom make to match his high speeds and sharp turns. Without further ado, let's see what this new buckaroo can do!"

"People with full Runners go first." He pulled a card from the holder on his arm. "Speedroid Terrortop, you're getting special summoned from my hand while I also summon Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice. It can change the level of a Speedroid monster from one to six. I change Terrortop from three to four. I tune my Dice with my Terrortop to synchro summon Hi-Speedroid Hagoita!" The monster appeared on the field with 2000 attack.

"My move!" Aaron drew his card and added it to the holder on his arm. He revved his bike and picked up speed catching up to his opponent who had taken the lead during his turn. "I summon Hyena from my hand." The monster rose to the field with 1000 attack. "Hyena, attack!"

Melissa Trail looked at the duel from her chopper. "It would seem that this cadet might need to go back to boot camp. He's charging in like a wild bull."

Aaron's monster was destroyed and his life points fell down to 3000. "Kid, you need to go back to school."

"Wrong. When Hyena is destroyed, I can summon two more from my deck." Two more Hyenas appeared on the field in attack position.

"Well, this crazy kamikaze duelist just turned one monster into two. This duel is getting interesting." Melissa Trail said into the camera.

"I play the spell Level Limit - Area B. Now all level four or higher monsters switch to defense position. I play one card facedown and end my turn."

The man on the runner drew his card. He watched his monster switch to defense position with 1000 defense points. "That's a cute trick, but it won't get you far in this duel. I summon another Speedroid Terrortop from my hand. Next up, I play Monster Reborn and bring back Speedroid Red- Eyed Dice. I use its ability to change Hi-Speedroid Hagoita's level to three. Now it can attack you. Hi-Speedroid Hagoita, wreck one of his Hyenas!"

Aaron winced watching his life points fall to 2000.

"Speedroid Terrortop, wreck the other one!"

Aaron's life points fell to 1800.

"I tune my Dice with my Terror Top to synchro summon level four Hi-Speedroid Puzzle!" It switched to defense position. His Hi-Speedroid Hagoita also switched to defense position.

"This may be our junior cadet's last show if this duel keeps going like this." Melissa Trail put her head down showing emotion for the camera.

 _Meanwhile…_

"Director Roget, should we put someone on standby?"

"No no, you need to have faith in duelists like this. But yes, do put someone on standby." He moved a piece on his chessboard. It stood behind a pawn that seemingly represented Aaron.

Aaron drew his card. "I play Forest." The field changed that made it look like the two were moving through the forest. "Watch out for roots." Aaron smirked enjoying the bumpy terrain while his opponent was holding on tightly to his Duel Runner. "All my beasts gain 200 attack and defense while this card is in play." He turned to the other cards in his holder. "Now, I'm set up to cause some damage. I play the spell card, Obedience Schooled."

"What does that do?" The other rider looked concern at the same time hitting a bump.

"Get a grip because I get to summon three level two or lower beast type monsters from my deck." Three cards popped out of Aaron's deck. "Say hi to Nimble Momonga, Mogmole, and Key Mouse, and I'll add a Nimble Momonga from my hand."

"That's still not enough to destroy my monsters."

"That's why I activate Rush Recklessly to give 700 attack to one of my Nimble Momongas." One of their attacks rose to 1900. "I'll have that one take out your Hi-Speedroid Puzzle!" The monster was destroyed. "My other Nimble Momonga is going to destroy your Hi-Speedroid Hagoita! Now, you're wide open for an attack. Key Mouse and Mogmole let him have it!" His monsters' combined attack dealt 1300 damage reducing his life points to 2700. "One card facedown to finish my turn. Too bad Obedience Schooled's effect kicks in." His Nimble Momonga, Mogmole, and Key Mouse were destroyed. "Mogmole's effect activates and it comes back in defense mode." He took a sharp turn with ease; he was smiling feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body.

His opponent drew his card. "I play Twister and pay 500 life points to destroy your Level Limit card." His life points fell to 2200 while the spell card was destroyed. "I summon Speedroid Double Yoyo and activate its ability. I can summon one level three or lower Speedroid monster from my graveyard. I choose Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice. Would you look at that, that activates Hi-Speedroid Haigota's ability allowing me to special summon it from the graveyard. Next up, I tune level one Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice with level four Speedroid Double Yoyo to synchro summon Hi-Speedroid Chanbara. Get ready to lose it." He had a grin on his face ready to attack Aaron.

"Things are definitely not looking good for our junior cadet."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Aaron's got him where he wants him." Zane said looking at the screen.

"He has it set up." Sara said in agreement.

"Hi-Speedroid Chanbara, attack his Nimble Momonga!" Aaron watched the monster get destroyed and his life points fall to 1000.

"Now, I get to summon another Nimble Momonga in facedown defense position, and I get 1000 life points." He smiled watching his life points grow to 2000.

"What a comeback!" Melissa Trail commented.

"Whatever. My Chanbara gains 200 attack and it can attack again. Strike his other Nimble Momonga!" Aaron smiled watching his life points grow to 3000. "Haigota, destroy his Mogmole!" The monster attacked destroying the small monster. "I have no choice but to end my turn."

"Good, because this duel is over." Aaron drew his card. "I activate my facedown card, Pot of Greed. I draw two cards." He added the cards to his hand and had his strategy set up. "Say hello to my Ayers Rock Sunrise. I get to bring back a beast from my graveyard. I choose Hyena." The monster returned from the graveyard with 1200 attack due to the effect of Forest.

"So what?"

"So, now I get to reduce the attack of all of your monsters by the number of beasts in my graveyard times 200. I have seven."

"Still not enough to finish me."

"I'm not finished yet. I summon Sea Koala from my hand. I use its ability to reduce the attack of your Chanbara to zero."

"Wait, stop." He accelerated his Duel Runner.

Aaron accelerated ahead of him. "No chance because I'm going to use the equip spell, Axe of Despair to give Hyena another 1000 attack points. Hyena, end this!" Aaron's monster charged forward and struck the monster reducing the man's life points to zero. "Have fun in the facility." He waved to the chopper in the sky before speeding off down the highway.

"Well, I'll be. This crazy little cadet won the duel and gave us quite the show. Let's hope that we get to see more of our junior chaser, Aaron! I'm Melissa Trail, and I'll see you next time."

 _Meanwhile…_

"He cut it close." Zane crossed his arms. "Way too close."

"He cuts a lot of things too close. That's just him." Sara said walking away.

Director Roget turned off the screen in front of him. "That one certainly knows how to put on a show." He moved the pawn on the board forward. He smiled to himself a little as he picked up the pawn and clutched it in his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few weeks, Aaron's reputation as a Duel Chaser grew. He won all of his duels and received a stripe for his efforts. His classmates now showed him some respect for his dueling skill. He had become famous amongst the Tops for his dueling making him one of the primary choices for a duel chase.

Outside of a duel, he was still the same person that everyone picked on and made fun of. "Come on." Zane said readying his boxing gloves. He and Aaron were in sparring class together. "Let's go." He swung at Aaron knocking him to the ground.

Aaron stood up and threw a punch. Zane grabbed his arm and flipped him on to his side. "You're way too good at this."

"That's because I like this. Now, get up." He helped Aaron up who threw another punch. Zane dodged it only to be hit by another punch from Aaron. "That one was pretty good." He quickly swept Aaron's legs knocking him down again. "Not good enough though."

"Can we take a break?"

"No breaks." Zane dragged him to his feet still ready to fight. "Come on, give me your best."

"I already did." Aaron put his gloves down.

"Hit me, now."

Aaron sighed putting up his gloves. He punched Zane in the stomach and then once more in the side. "Had enough?"

"Try this." He swung at Aaron's head. He dodged it only for Zane to nail him on the second punch. "Oh, snap. I need a coach!" He looked at Aaron who was laying on the ground with a swelling black eye. "Sorry about that."

"I bet criminals love you."

"Is he okay?" One of the coaches walked over. They took a look at Aaron. "Just a nasty punch in the eye. Go get an icepack on that and relax." They turned to Zane. "Go spar with McCarthy. He knocked his opponent out too." The coach helped Aaron up and made sure he was okay before sending him out of class.

Zane looked at his new opponent who was twice his size. "Let's go big guy." He ran over to him excited for his new fight.

 _…_

Aaron walked into his room wearing shorts and a t-shirt after taking a shower. The swelling around his eye had stopped. He saw Zane and Sara dueling on the table.

"Using DNA Surgery, I change all the monsters to Insect-Types. So, Insect Princess shifts all insects to attack position and she destroys your Machine King, and she gets another 500 attack points."

"She used DNA Surgery to neutralize your Machine King's ability. Smart." Aaron sat on the edge of Zane's bed watching the duel continue.

"Okay, I'm going to finish this now." Zane looked at his hand. "I'm going to activate my DNA Surgery and change all the monsters to Machine-Types. Next, I can play Raigeki and destroy your Insect Princess. Now, my Machine Assembly Line has enough counters, so I send it to the graveyard in order to bring back Chronomaly Mayan Machine. It counts as two tributes when I summon a Machine-Type. I'll sacrifice it to summon Perfect Machine King. It gets 500 attack per Machine-Type bringing its attack up to 3200. That's game."

Sara turned to Aaron. "Why did you have to give us both DNA Surgery?"

"It works well for both of you." He responded.

"Let me see that eye." She said motioning. Aaron knelt by her seat. "Zane, you need to take it easy on him." She looked it over touching it slightly. Aaron winced in pain.

"You should have seen the fight I had with McCarthy. That one was fun."

"This is sparring though, not one of your patrol missions." Sara opened up the mini fridge and grabbed an icepack. She handed it to Aaron who put it on his eye.

"That's what you need, a patrol mission." Zane's eyes lit up.

"No way." Aaron climbed to the top bunk and laid down resting the icepack on his face.

"Come on. It's gonna be fun." Zane stood up on his bed poking Aaron's stomach.

"Nooooo." Aaron moaned pushing Zane's hand away.

"Yesssss." Zane mocked him smiling. "I'll get them to let you use your Duel Runner."

"Sara, help me." Aaron groaned.

"Zane, stop harassing Aaron. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She walked out the door leaving.

"So you're coming?"

"Why are you making me do this?" Aaron groaned.

"It's fun. I promise. Plus, we can hang out together."

"You'll get them to let me use my Duel Runner?"

"Yeah, we have runners on patrols all the time. You gonna come?"

"I'll go. Just let me get some sleep."

"Awesome, I'll get you the details." Zane was excited running off into the hallway.

A week passed. Aaron sat in his Duel Runner which sat in the back of a van. "You ready for this?" Zane asked. He was dressed in his uniform along with several attachments to his belt. Aaron's belt was similar.

"I guess. What do I have to do again?"

"Just patrol the streets. If you see anything going on, call it in. Commons around here are always up to something."

"Get ready." An officer said looking at both of them.

"Wait, open the door. I want to try something." Aaron put on his helmet and revved the engine. The officer sighed opening the door. They watched as Aaron rode out of the still moving van on to the streets. He immediately turned around and accelerated to keep up with the other officers.

Once the van came to a stop, Zane got out. "You've done that before on the highway."

"Yeah, but it's still fun." Aaron smiled.

An officer walked over to them. "Okay cadets, your job is to patrol the streets. If you see a criminal or possible criminal activity, you have permission to intercept and take action. On your belts, you will find a nightstick, pepper spray, and a stun gun. Any questions?" Aaron and Zane shook their heads. "Good luck and do not forget to report in every hour."

Aaron and Zane nodded their heads before walking away. Aaron pushed his Duel Runner while walking with Zane. "So now what?"

Zane paused and walked in front of him. "We're gonna split up. You're going to go patrol, and I'm going to go patrol."

"I thought we were spending time together."

"Yeah, it was a fun ride over here." Zane said growing serious. "You need to toughen up. You have a belt full of stuff to protect you. Have fun. If you follow me, I'll stun you and slash your tire. See ya later." He started walking off.

Aaron sighed putting on his helmet and hopping on his Duel Runner. He started cruising in the opposite direction. He saw a poster of Jack Atlas on a wall. "I guess he's cool everywhere." He continued cruising. _Zane really sucks for pulling something like this. Then again, I don't why I'm surprised._ He let out another sigh. He continued moving down the streets. People shot him looks while others went into their homes and locked the doors. He heard people talking and cheering excitedly turning down an alley. He parked his Duel Runner, stowed his helmet, and grabbed his duel disk before peering out from the alley.

He saw a group of young kids dueling. "Snipe Hunter's special ability activates. By rolling a die, I can destroy one of your monsters unless I roll a one or six." The girl speaking held a die in her hand. She tossed it on to the field; it landed on five. "Say bye to your Time Wizard. Snipe Hunter, attack!"

Aaron ducked back into the alley. He saw some trashcans nearby. He climbed on them using them to get on to the roof of the building. He sat on the ledge pulling a stick of gum out of his pocket. He watched the boy starting his turn.

"I play Cup of Ace. Heads, I draw two cards. Tails, you draw two cards." He pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it into the air. He caught it in his hand and looked at it. "Tails."

"So I'm drawing?" The girl asked.

"I activate Second Coin Toss so I can redo the coin toss." He tossed the coin into the sky again and caught it in his hand. "I'm drawing two cards." He reached into his deck and drew. "I play Monster Reborn to revive my Barrel Dragon. I activate its ability and toss this coin three times. If at least two are heads, your monster is destroyed." He tossed the coin for the first time. "Tails." He tossed it again. "Heads. One more time." He tossed it for the final time. "Heads." He smirked watching her monster get destroyed. "Barrel Dragon, end this!"

She interrupted him. "I activate my Roulette Spider magic card." She pulled a die from her pocket. "One, I lose half my life points. Two, your attack is a direct attack, so essentially no change. Three, you have to attack one of my monsters that I choose, but I don't have any. Four, I can make you attack one of your other monsters, but you don't have any. Five, this one is my favorite. I negate the attack and you take damage equal to your monsters attack. And six, I can destroy your monster." She tossed the die on to the field and watched it land on two.

"Game over."

"I activate my trap, Dice Re-Roll. I'm going to redo the roll." The die flew back into her hand briefly before being tossed on to the field once more. It landed on five. "Now it's game over." The boy's life points fell to zero as the duel ended. "Good job, Chance." The girl walked over and helped the boy up.

"Luck just wasn't on my side today. That was a good game though."

"So, who's my next opponent?" The girl looked around at the other children who shook their heads.

Aaron looked down at the kids. He watched the girl growing disappointed. He spit out his gum and jumped down from the ledge startling the kids. He removed his sunglasses and put them on his shirt while his duel disk powered on. "I'll duel you."

The girl grew nervous, as did the other children. "You're Sector Security. You're going to arrest us."

"Why would I do that? You're not doing anything wrong. Plus, I'm bored just patrolling the streets. Let's duel."

"Okay." The girl powered on her duel disk.

"Roll, Chance, get in the house!" A girl about Aaron's age shouted walking over to them stopping the duel. "You know better than to get involved with Sector Security." The girl powered off her duel disk and quickly ran off with the boy. The other kids scattered.

"What are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Trying to put away some innocent kids?" She glared at him.

"You have it all wrong. I was just looking for a duel."

"Don't try that on me. You guys really are low."

"Look, this is my first time on a patrol. I'm just a chaser."

She slapped him across the face. "You're that guy who's been putting people away left and right. Duel Chasers like you sent my brother to the Facility." She slapped him again.

She tried for a third time, but Aaron grabbed her arm and threw her back. "That's not okay. I could arrest you, and I didn't put your brother in the Facility."

"How do you know? Sector Security doesn't ask questions."

Aaron's duel disk started beeping. "I have to get going. Maybe we can continue this conversation later." He ran into the alley with the girl following after him. She quickly ducked to the side when she saw the Duel Runner speeding out of the alley. _There's no way that she's right. She's just a Commons._ He revved the engine as the Duel Runner accelerated.


	5. Chapter 5

Aaron had a second stripe on his sleeve which he had earned from several of his chases. It was early in the morning. Everyone was loading on to a bus. Several students had cups of coffee or energy drinks in their hands as they got on to the bus. Aaron found his seat next to Zane who was holding a protein shake in his hands; Aaron had a cup of coffee.

"Scoot over." Sara said squeezing into the seat with a cup of coffee in her hands. "Should be an interesting field trip. You only get to hear stuff about the Facility."

"Speak for yourself." Aaron said looking concerned. "I put a lot of people there."

"So did I." Zane responded.

"Me too." Sara chimed in. "There's nothing to be afraid of. They're behind bars."

"I guess." Aaron looked down occasionally sipping his coffee as the bus started to move.

It was early enough in the morning that small businesses were just sweeping their fronts and putting out signs for the day. A few people were out walking, some were jogging. It was a peaceful morning. When the bus stopped, they had arrived at the facility. Everyone started to get off the bus and file into squad lines waiting for orders.

"Okay everyone, we're going to head into the facility now. Do not start an altercation with the inmates. You will follow all academy rules and set an example for these people when they reenter society." The instructor motioned to the guards at the door who nodded their heads opening them for the students to file inside.

Zane, Sara, and Aaron walked into the building together. There was a rather small visiting area that consisted of clear screens and phones to communicate. They were led through a door that led to the cells. Inmates leaned on their cells glaring at the students. Some were outside attending to menial tasks while being supervised by the guards. One of the inmates spat on a student's shoes earning them a swift kick in return. The guard glared at the inmate who handed them a card.

"No! No! Don't take me away!" An inmate was screaming while two guards dragged them down the hall.

"I feel bad for that guy." Zane crossed his arms.

"Where are they taking him?" Aaron asked.

"We'll talk about it later." Zane whispered to him and Sara who nodded their heads seeing some secrecy from Zane.

The students saw a guard whisper into the instructor's ear. "We'll take some time now for you to walk around, maybe talk to some of the inmates and see why they're here." The instructor dismissed the students walking off with one of the guards. Everyone dispersed from the crowd. Many of them walked over to the cells talking with the inmates. Some students had conversations while others taunted the inmates.

"Psst." Aaron looked around to see one of the inmates motioning for him to come over. Aaron saw the small criminal mark on his cheek. The boy he was looking at was really familiar. "Having fun?"

"More than you." Aaron retorted.

"You're irritating a lot of people." He looked around cautiously. "There's a guy in solitary who wants revenge on you. He's been dueling every chance he gets to hone his skills. They locked him up because he wouldn't stop. No one knows how he keeps getting his hands on duel disks, but he's on a path."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yeah, that's it." The boy's tone changed as he backed into his cell.

Aaron looked around to see Zane chatting with one of the inmates. They appeared to be trading cards. Sara was watching to make sure nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Aaron felt one of the guards tapping his shoulder. He turned around facing two of them. "Would you mind coming with us?" Aaron nodded his head knowing to follow orders from superior officers. He followed behind them down a corridor leading to one of the Facility's lower levels. They walked down another corridor until they stopped at a very large cell at the end.

"You actually did your job." Two cards flew from the cell; the guards caught them. They examined them before stepping back from the cell and leaning against the wall. Someone walked to the bars. It was a boy with purple hair wearing white pants, a decorated purple jacket, and a black shirt. "I'm so glad to finally meet you. I'm Yuri."

"I'm…"

Aaron was cut off by Yuri. "I know who you are. Unlike most in this place, I have a television. Why don't you come in?" He snapped his fingers and one of the guards unlocked his cell allowing Aaron to enter. Reluctantly he walked inside hearing the click of the door being locked behind him. He looked around the cell. It was huge; it had to be at least six times the size of a normal cell, and it only had one large bed in it. The room was a bit lavish for a prison cell. It had a mini-fridge, a large TV mounted to the wall, a mahogany desk with a duel disk on it, and in the corner, a large pallet stacked with what looked like duel monsters cards.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I'm a fan of your work." Yuri had a sinister grin on his face. "You keep ensuring me a fresh supply of duelists." He pointed to the large pallet of cards against the wall. "The old guy who lived here before I put him in his place only had half as many cards as I do."

"What do you plan on doing with them?" Aaron's fist tightened.

"Living out my life in luxury. Around here, cards are the currency, and I'm the king." Yuri then motioned to his face. "They're never going to give me a mark because I'm never going to leave." Yuri walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a stack of cards and walked over to Aaron pressing them into his hands. "I owe you a thank you. I handpicked them myself, just for you."

"I can't take these." Aaron tried handing them back to Yuri.

"You can. You earned them."

"No, I was just doing my job. I need to go." Aaron walked to the door of the cell. One of the guards unlocked it for him.

"You're always welcome to visit." Yuri called out to him. "And I do hope that you'll be thinking of me and the things that I can do for you."

Reluctantly, Aaron nodded his head walking out of the cell. He handed the cards to one of the guards who smiled at them greedily.

"Those are not yours." Yuri glared at the guard who frowned handing him the cards. "Those are for my friend." Yuri said walking over to the desk and putting them back in the top drawer.

Aaron found his way back upstairs. "Hey, you need to keep up with your group."

"Sorry, I got caught up talking to one of the prisoners."

"It's fine. I'll take you back to your group." The guard said leading him down the corridor back to where his classmates were.

Aaron found his way back to his friends. "Where did you go?" Zane asked.

"Some guy really wanted to talk to me. It was nothing." Sara and Zane could both see that Aaron did not want to talk about it. The trio quickly shifted their attention to the instructor who was lecturing them fearing a reprimand.

While the day was long, the field trip ended as the bus returned to the school; it was dinnertime. Aaron ate quickly and returned to his room, took a shower, and climbed on to the top bunk lost in thought.

Soon, Zane and Sara walked into the room locking the door behind them. "It's time for a quick story." Zane said nudging Aaron.

"Take your time." Aaron climbed off his bed and took the chair by his desk.

"I heard some professors talking about this one."

"Spying?" Sara looked at him. "That's my job."

"Where do you think I learned?" Zane smirked. "Anyway, they were talking about Alex Crest."

"Didn't he drop out of school?"

"I heard he got expelled." Sara said.

"Something else happened to him. He started to side with the Commons. He became corrupt giving away secrets to them. Every raid he was a part of, they knew when and where we were coming. They hid all of their evidence and they made Sector Security look like a joke."

"So what happened?" Sara asked.

"They started doing more surprise room searches. They found stuff in his room. He had built a network to communicate with them. The information he had was classified to say the least. When they caught him, they couldn't figure out where to put him. Expulsion was lenient. He was a criminal at this point. Everyone knew if they put him in the Facility, someone would break him out. They sent him somewhere underground to a recycling facility for the worst criminals and anyone who lost in the Friendship Cup. He's cut off from society doing hard labor in one of the worst and most secretive places in New Domino City."

"Sounds like a horror story." Sara said standing up and walking to the door. "I'll see you guys later." Sara walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

"What's on your mind?" Zane looked at Aaron concerned.

"Do you think Alex did all of those things because he thought he was helping?"

"He could have been corrupt. It could be anything."

"What kind of places did you guys raid together?" Aaron asked a little curious.

"Underground card shops and secret duel clubs usually."

"Duel clubs?"

"Uh huh. Commons don't always have places they can duel. They also don't like us supervising them, so they make these underground clubs where they can hide and duel."

"Sounds interesting. Can you tell me where some of these clubs are?"

Zane walked over to his desk and pulled out a phone-shaped device and tossed it to Aaron. "Use this. I have plenty of them. It should tell you what you want to know. Just be careful."

"I will." Aaron put the device in his desk drawer that locked. "It's getting late and I have a test tomorrow." He climbed back into his bunk and closed his eyes. Zane flipped off the light switch to the room and turned on the lamp by his desk to do homework.


	6. Chapter 6

It was late at night, past curfew. Aaron was walking down the halls of the school constantly looking over his shoulder. The lights were off in the building. He snuck past one of the hall monitors quickly backing up against the wall when they walked by. He used the dimmest setting on his duel disk's flashlight to look at the sign on the door in front of him. _Undercover Agents/ Theatre Department Dressing Rooms._ He started picking the lock very carefully hearing a click when the door unlocked. Aaron walked inside closing the door behind him. He turned on the lights. The room was filled with racks of clothes, makeup tables, cabinets containing various items including duel disks, and a desk with a computer and printer sat at one of the corners.

He walked over to a rack of clothes and started looking through them not knowing where to begin. "Need help?" Sara asked standing beside Aaron making him jump a little.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Zane told me about the map he gave you. I just decided to follow you and see what happens." She was resting her hand on one of the racks. "So, you want me to help you go undercover?"

"I don't know." Aaron sighed putting his hands on his head.

"I could make you into a really pretty girl. Cross-dress disguises are my specialty." Sara had a smile on her face as she playfully tried to tie a ribbon in Aaron's hair.

He quickly brushed it off. "I just need something that will keep me from being recognized."

"And no one would expect a cute girl to be you." Sara grabbed a short dress off the rack. "Of course, we might have to shave your legs for this one."

"Let's stay away from those disguises." Aaron said looking at a leather jacket.

"Commons can't afford nice leather like that. You need something more like this." Sara was holding up an old letterman jacket from Duel Academy. "Combo up with some blue jeans, high tops, and a cap. It's low key and easy." She came back with a pair of blue jeans in his size, a pair of black high tops, and a black, snapback hat with a Key Mouse on the front. "Final touch." Sara grabbed a red duel disk off the rack. "It looks ordinary, but it does everything a Sector Security disk does."

"Thanks for all of this." Aaron said taking all of the clothes from her.

"No problem. Now, let's get out of here." Sara opened the door waiting for Aaron to follow her out.

 _A few nights later…_

It was Saturday night. Aaron finished slipping on his undercover clothes. He grabbed the map from his desk and snuck out of the building. He caught a bus to the center of the city. Aaron did not get much free time to be out on his own. He did not really get to see much of the city, especially at night. He started walking towards one of the hotels. He walked inside very cautiously, constantly looking over his shoulder. He pushed the button on the elevator tapping his foot anxiously until it came. Once it arrived, he stepped inside and immediately closed the door. He pulled out his map and started following the instructions on the screen. He pushed the button for the sixth floor three times, the door close button four times, the second floor button once, the ground floor button once, and the basement button five times. The floor indicator at the top of the screen beeped a few times and had an arrow pointed down with no floor indicated. The elevator started moving down lower than any floors specified on the wall.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Aaron was hit with the sounds of shouting and engines revving. He was in the stands of an underground duel club. He shifted through the crowd until he found a seat that he could watch from. He looked around seeing a duel go on. Everyone here seemed happy to Aaron. He then spotted a man in a large, white fur coat sitting up front watching the duel with a smile on his face. He looked up and saw a glass window. People in suits and dresses sat in a luxury booth watching the duel. Aaron knew they were Tops looking for entertainment and possibly a duelist to sponsor in a cup. He watched the duel intently seeing the heart that the duelists were using along with their strategies; they seemed to make up for some of the cards they were using.

There was a Sector Security agent standing in the Top's lounge. He had a pin on his lapel identifying him. He looked out into the crowd and looked down at his duel disk. He stepped off to the side and patched in a call to the headquarters. An agent picked up on the other end. "What do you need?"

"Are there any undercover agents authorized at the Neo Hotel Duel Club in the City Center?"

"There are not." The agent said looking at the screen in front of them.

"Patch me to Director Roget. Something isn't right here."

"One moment please." The agent said pressing several keys on their computer.

"Roget here." Roget said a bit irritated. "This better be good."

"I have an unauthorized undercover agent at the Neo Hotel Duel Club."

"Do you know who?"

"No sir."

"Hold on, let me search the duel disks in the area." He looked to one of his aides who started typing on their computer.

"The duel disk is registered to the Sector Security Junior Academy, sir."

"That is interesting." Roget played with a chess piece in his hand. "I think I have a suspicion of who it is. I'm just going to have to plan my next move very carefully."

"Should I extract them, sir?" The agent asked.

"No, no. It's probably just a curious student wondering about the world. Dismissed." Roget hung up the phone. "Planning my next move." He chuckled to himself placing three pawns on his chessboard along with a king piece on the opposing side. "The first move will be a slow start, a preparation." He advanced his piece, the king, forward.

 _…_

A week since the trip to the underground duel club had passed. Classes had ended for the day. As soon as the final bell rang, Aaron, Sara, and Zane's duel disks beeped with a message alert. "We're wanted in the dean's office." Zane said reading the message out loud.

"They sent an escort." Sara said looking at the two high-ranking students waiting for them at the door.

"What did you do?" Zane whispered nudging Aaron.

"Nothing, I put all that stuff back. No one followed me."

"Cleaned up the clothes. They shouldn't have a trace of Aaron." Sara said.

"Ready to go." The two students said walking over to the group.

"I don't think we have a choice." Zane muttered under his breath. They started walking out of the room heading for the dean's office.

As they walked into the administration room, they were motioned towards the dean's office. The group walked inside. However, the dean was not sitting at his desk, Director Roget was. "Please, take a seat. Get comfortable." The group all stood frozen not having seen the director in person before. Simultaneously they saluted him. He smiled. "At ease. Take a seat. Relax." The group did as they were told relaxing slightly. "All of you have shown extraordinary progress. You show top marks in your respective specialties. Anyway, time to get down to business." He reached into his pocket producing three embroidered envelopes each sealed with a red bow. "I'm hosting a party next week, and I am inviting you three personally. You will find the details in these envelopes, I will supply proper attire for this event, and I will send a car to pick you up. I look forward to seeing you there." He smiled at the group before exiting from the room.

Aaron, Sara, and Zane all looked at each other and then the envelopes in their hands.


End file.
